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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. firm — steady
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. land — to come down
  5. band — a ring
  6. staff — a stick
  7. band — a music group
  8. land — ground
  9. roll — a cake
  10. staff — employees
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stand — to bear
  14. firm — decided
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. saw — the tool
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. staff — employees
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. land — a country
  24. firm — a company

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com